Unique Pieces of a Puzzle to Reflect

Unique Pieces of a Puzzle is a creative exercise to explore self-awareness and invite your group to express themselves and reflect.

The overall message to your group is to create a puzzle that’s inclusive and representative of their individuality and the power of creating a completed puzzle together as a team.

In advance, you’ll need to create one large, giant and blank jigsaw puzzle. Take a large sheet of cardboard or construction paper and randomly draw a series of interconnected pieces so that there is one piece for every person in your group.

The key is to make sure that every puzzle piece looks unique. Use scissors to cut the individual pieces from the paper.

Gather your group and randomly distribute one piece to each person. Announce that the puzzle pieces are all unique, just like every person in your group.

Invite each person to use the markers and assorted craft materials to decorate their puzzle piece in a way that represents their personality (or some other attribute.)

For example, ask them to decorate the puzzle piece so that it represents:

• Their personality
• One or more of their strengths
• Cultural background
• Values

Allow 10 to 15 minutes for your group to create their artwork.

When ready, invite group members to share the meaning of their puzzle piece. Be sure to listen for how the decorations relate to the individual, rather than just describe the particular decorations they used.

And finally… Ask your group for one more task, they are challenged to put the puzzle together.! Once assembled, take a photograph or adhere all of the pieces to a larger sheet to display on the wall.

Inviting your group to reflect on the end result is important.

Moment of Reflection

In addition to being a fun and creative activity, this proposal helps your group to reflect that each one is unique, wonderful and talented in their own way. And in addition to the fact that each person is completely unique, everyone is still connected to the group, some closer and others with a little more distance.

• Look at the other jigsaw puzzle pieces. Which are similar to yours? Which are different?
• What skills, personality, or talents did you choose to represent yourself in your puzzle piece? Why?
• What colours did you choose? Why?
• What did you like most about this activity?
• How did you feel before and after the activity?
• What might this activity teach us about how we can work together more successfully?

The topics of this publication: integration, diversity, reflection, critical thinking, interactions, teamwork, self, empathy, trust, creativity